Devil's Gate Music
Related Articles
Maybe it’s the cool t-shirt for sale at the merch desk emblazoned with “Louder, Faster, & Out Of Control” on the back – in Motörhead “Everything Louder than Everything Else” font no less (conscious or not, but regardless, a fantastic tip of the hat to Lemmy and his renowned love of rock and roll), or it’s the way that frontwoman Jenny Don’t constantly drops to her knees, bends backward and plays her guitar like she was wailing away in New York iconic punk and new wave venue CBGB (abbreviated for Country, Bluegrass, Blues). Or maybe it’s her husband Kelly Halliburton on bass guitar who has years of experience playing in a multitude of punk bands out of Portland, Oregon (as well as being a damn decent drummer). Or it’s how fast the spellbinding Christopher March plays his guitar at times. Whatever the reason, Jenny Don’t and The Spurs are different from most bands lumped in with country music.
And tonight, as Jenny herself says, they are going to play some “North Western-Western for you”.
With their fantastic driving Rockabilly sound (fuelled by an upright bass that gets a proper workout on ‘Rockabop’), local support Wild Devils are great mood-setters for the headliners; so much so that Jenny Don’t can be found enjoying their set from in front of the stage. Once the set ends, before she heads backstage to prepare for her own set, a beaming Jenny can be found mingling with the crowd, thanking them for coming out to catch the show. A lovely personal touch.
Opening the show with a slow-building, brooding instrumental is a break from the normal full-pelt opener that usually starts a live gig. Tonight it makes perfect sense to open with the cinematic ‘Bones in the Sand’. It’s slow but helluva gnarly thanks to the low baritone notes that Christopher March is coaxing out of his gorgeous semi-hollow body guitar; right hand plucking the strings while his left hand is bent around the body of the guitar making full use of the whammy bar/vibrato. Visually it looks neat, aurally it is stunning and proves once and for all that guys can indeed multi-task.
From here it’s straight into ‘Flying High’ without skipping a beat. Jenny’s warm vocals are full of life and make you pay attention – not easy in a venue where the bar is 10 yards from the stage but thankfully the number of chatterers is low, besides, March wailing on his guitar as bassist Kelly Halliburton and drummer Buddy Weeks drive the band on with an almighty rhythmic groove would drown out the loudest of them.
‘Trouble With the Law’ is stunning. Weeks is playing out of his skin behind his kit, and has that same non-fussy style that the much-missed Charlie Watts had; in other words, he makes it look easy. It is difficult however to resist the urge to tap one’s feet in time to the music. Likewise, ‘On the Run’ is proving damn hard to resist, as is also the shuffle of ‘Sunset on The Alamo’.
Jenny Don’t has a wonderful stage presence and the talent to match. Dolly Parton-meets-KD Lang-meets-Joan Jett? Maybe, yes. You get the impression that she could turn her talents to any genre and make it sound natural and from the heart. There is great chemistry between the band, with Jenny and her fellow guitarist March playing off each other – it’s a night for guitar geeks as the instruments on display are gorgeous. After he is handed a drink from the crowd, Halliburton whispers something to Jenny and she jokes that he has just asked if she could drive tonight so that he can drink! She then points out that she has never driven on the left yet so it should be fun.
‘Right From the Start’ keeps the pace at an uptempo setting and again Christopher March impresses throughout. He can play hella fast when required and there are moments when his right hand is a blur. His fuzz-filled solo at the end of ‘Fire on the Ridge’ is jaw-dropping. March is living proof that not all guitar gods need a Gibbo Les Paul, long flowing mane, and leather trousers.
‘Unlucky Love’ is one of the many highlights on the latest album ‘Broken Hearted Blue’, and tonight it sounds towering. The drum sound from Weeks is classic rock and roll. The song has a fantastic ambling vibe and is not in a hurry to reach its destination. Not a million miles from Tom Petty, it is rather special, and Halliburton’s bass tone is chef’s kiss. As are March’s bending notes on ‘Still As the Night’.
Encore time brings around a few covers that highlight the different influences to be found when checking out The Spurs. First up there is Hank William’s classic ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ and then one from Portland, Oregon seminal outfit Dead Moon who Jenny Dont and The Spurs regularly pay homage to.
Forever on the road, Jenny Dont and The Spurs are for those who like their music “Louder, Faster, & Out Of Control”. Remaining tour dates can be found, below:
18.02.25 SHEFFIELD Greystones
19.02.25 LONDON The Lexington
20.02.25 NORWICH Voodoo Daddy’s
21.02.25 BRISTOL Hen & Chicken
22.02.25 LUTON The Bear Club
23.02.25 HASTINGS The Jenny Lind Inn
02.05.25 KILKENNY ROOTS FESTIVAL
28.05.25 POCKLINGTON Arts Centre
30.05.25 RED ROOSTER FESTIVAL
More information can be found, HERE.
Review – Dave
All images – Julia Varga
